How To Help A Loved One With Depression

Many of us know how powerless you can feel with a family member, friend or other loved one with depression. Although it is especially painful for the depressed person, it can also be difficult for the rest of us because it is sometimes difficult to understand. We may feel insecure around a loved one with depression and not know what to do or how to act.

What can we do?

The people closest to a person with depression have a special role to play – to be a support. We can help in the following ways:

Understand the disease by learning about the symptoms

Depression is a disease just like any other, and requires a diagnosis and special treatment. Many factors come into play when a depression occurs and it does not depend on the person affected, as many false myths suggest.

Doctors are the ones who can diagnose the disease based on well-defined criteria. We can read books and information from reliable sources and consult professionals to improve our understanding of depression to become better at helping the sufferer.

Encourage the person to seek help and to follow their treatment

There are many different treatments for depression, but despite this, many people do not seek help. We should seek treatment for depression because:

• It is treatable.
• Over time, treatment can reduce the pain and suffering.
• The longer we wait with treatment, the more complications will occur.
• Treatment can prevent serious consequences of depression, such as suicide.

As family members or friends, we can help a loved one with depression to follow the treatment. We can also help him or her maintain a healthy lifestyle (good nutrition, regular exercise, etc.).

Offer support without surveillance and overprotection

For the support to be successful, it must be offered from a certain distance. We do not have to constantly review the person’s shoulder. E rbjud rather than affection, was understanding and patience. It is useless to bombard the person with advice or commands because it will only increase their guilt and powerlessness.

Depression is a disease. Saying “If I was like you”, “I fully understand” or “I know how you feel” does not bring anything positive. We must keep this in mind.

To calm the person down, we can say that we understand his or her struggle, that he or she is not crazy and that it is a disease that affects many people.

People suffering from depression tend to be very sensitive to offers of help. Therefore , we should not be too motherly or too passive. If they are already feeling worthless, this type of behavior will only reinforce this feeling, and they will express this by saying things like “I am completely useless” .

Depressed people often get tired very quickly because they are constantly struggling with their fatigue and negative thoughts. Therefore, you should not demand too much of them or get them to do things against their will. However, we can motivate them from time to time with love and compassion. And once they make an effort, it’s good to pay attention to it.

Finally , it is important to have an open mind and not dismiss the emotions they show. We can talk about reality and offer them hope to be able to respond more easily to the current situation.

Self-care – the key to supporting a loved one with depression

Depression can be a long process where we share the suffering of our loved ones and find the strength to give the person our love and our support. Therefore, it is vital to avoid fatigue and listlessness.

The amount of negative thoughts that depressed people experience – about themselves, others and the world – can generate feelings of irritability and sometimes even rejection in the people around them. So how do you deal with this?

• Do not feel guilty if you have a close relative with depression. No one is to blame. It is a disease that occurs when several factors coincide (biological, psychological, etc.).
• When you feel powerless or overwhelmed , you can also turn to doctors who offer help and guidance.
• If your loved one goes against a tendency to isolate yourself, it is appropriate to point out that it is not good to shut the world out all the time. Adapt to the situation without putting the rest of your life on ice.

Remember that you must be healthy to be able to help someone else. So do not forget to take care of yourself.